Law Weblog

Sekfali v DPP [2006] Admin

[Police powers – although no duty to remain, running away from police amounts to obstruction]
DDD were suspected of stealing leather coats in Next. Two police officers showed their warrant cards to the men who fled each in a different direction.
Held: A citizen has no legal duty to assist the police … most people would accept that they have a moral and social duty to do so; but it is clear that no legal duty to assist exists. DDD would have been entitled to remain silent and not answer any questions put to them … but they ran off to avoid apprehension. That being a wilful act, taken so as to obstruct the police, was an act capable of constituting an offence contrary to section 89(2) Police Act 1996.
Guilty